World

Ann Coulter's 'Retard' Tweet Perpetuates Ignorance, Unites Advocates

In her third year at NYU School of Law, Marissa List Cohen has helped provide civil legal services to individuals with special needs. As a Teach For America corps member, Cohen taught first grade special education. She has a Masters in teaching with a concentration in students with disabilities.

It only takes six characters to cause an online stir. When Ann Coulter clicked the blue tweet button on her computer screen during Monday night’s presidential debate, she instantly generated a waterfall of controversy.

She wrote, “I highly approve of Romney's decision to be kind and gentle to the retard,” in reference to President Obama, a sentiment she instantaneously communicated to her 269,024 Twitter followers and well beyond.

I highly approve of Romney's decision to be kind and gentle to the retard.

Social media quickly erupted with a backlash against Coulter’s debate-timed tweet. Activist group R-Word Campaign took to its Twitter account in response to Coulter: “Sad to see @AnnCoulter continue her use of hateful language by using the #Rword in her discourse.”

John Franklin Stephens, a 30-year-old man with Down Syndrome, blogged to invite Coulter to watch the Special Olympics, of which he is a global messenger. “See if you can walk away with your heart unchanged,” Stephens challenged her.

Imagine an equally hurtful yet contained situation: You use the word "retard" when talking with a friend in a coffee shop. However, you quickly notice a visibly mentally handicapped person within earshot. My guess is you would feel ashamed. You would slink away, go back to your job, your home or your coffee, and continue on with your life. The person who overheard your conversation may be too stunned, disempowered or incapable of calling your attention to the sting you caused in that moment, to the damage you perpetuated with the pejorative use of the word "retard." He may slink back, reminded that he is different, pained that he is the butt of another stranger’s joke. The damage would be done, but the moment would pass.

Thanks to Twitter and other social media outlets, Ann Coulter's moment will not pass so easily. Her voice was projected through the Twitter megaphone. Her words reached the mentally handicapped individuals who she verbally assaulted, as well as their friends, family members, teachers and advocates. Their eyes fell on Coulter’s hateful words when they checked their social media accounts that night.

“The same online platform that hosts Coulter’s hateful rhetoric also allows us — those who fight for the special needs community — to respond."

But the same online platform that hosts Coulter’s hateful rhetoric also allows us — those who fight for the special needs community — to respond. We can educate about a word many are sophisticated enough to avoid, but not informed enough to fully understand.

Indeed, Ann Coulter’s tweet went beyond her usual shameless, disgraceful self-promotion (she happened to publish the tweet mere weeks after the release of her new book). It even stooped below the incendiary political antics that are standard for the author, who has been publicly repudiated by members of her own party. This time, at least, Coulter’s embarrassing tweet provides all of us (Democrats and Republicans alike) an opportunity to gauge the harmful consequences of the word "retard," especially in colloquial and derogatory contexts.

"Mentally retarded" is a clinical term used for educational, psychological and medical purposes to classify an individual with an IQ below 70. I suspect that even Coulter would not seriously believe President Obama’s IQ test would result in this score. I imagine that Coulter used the word "retard" to communicate her belief that President Obama is brainless, useless and unworthy of our respect.

The problem is that the word "retard" means none of these things. Mental retardation affects approximately 2-3% of people, many of whom live with mild forms of mental retardation as independent, literate, productive members of society. People with mild mental retardation work in our communities, learn in our schools and walk on our streets. They read newspaper headlines, vote in elections and maintain social media accounts — where they can read Coulter’s ignorant comments. They are not brainless, useless or unworthy of our respect.

Those with moderate to severe mental retardation typically live with caretakers, who assist with daily living skills made more difficult by their cognitive deficits. You may not regularly encounter people with extreme forms of mental retardation because many live in supportive housing and are less integrated with the broader community. Yet every day, these individuals rise above challenges of their biological limitations to conquer tasks that come easily to those free of disabilities, such as getting dressed or expressing themselves through words. People with severe mental retardation feel love and compassion, frustration and disappointment. They are worthy of all of our admiration and support — not our indifference, and certainly not our mockery.

Ann Coulter has no excuse for her hurtful words, whether through the macrocosm of Twitter or when whispered in a coffee shop, especially to promote cruelty and intolerance. And neither do you. Perhaps you have hid behind your computer, forgetting that, with one click, your choice of words on social media will literally reach the entire Internet world.

I hope that in light of this week’s Twitter scandal, we remind ourselves that, with the click of a button, our words are not just stored on a webpage but also felt in the lives of real people. That said, if you must join the online counterattack against Ann Coulter, I urge you to at least consult a thesaurus. "Fool," "buffoon," maybe "dimwit" — but please, not retard.

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